Method of reforming angle splice bars



Oct. 24, 1933. Q, J NYBERG 1,932,376

METHOD OF REFORMING ANGLE SPLICE BARS Original Filed Nov. 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Z2 I L gwwmtoz O/cf f fifybeg zm mz/ m Oct. 24, 1933. Q J NYBERG 1,932,376

METHOD OF REFORMING ANGLE SELIGE BARS Original Filed Nov. 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 &1. 1

Patented Oct. 24, 1933 I 1,932,376 v METHOD OF REFORMING ANGLE SPLICE BARS Olaf J. Nyberg, Youngstown, .Ohio, assignorto Youngstown Steel, Car Corporation, a. corporation of Ohio Original application November 13, 1928, Serial N0. 319,165. Divided 1 April 25, 1930.. Serial.

and this application No; 447,321

'6 Claims. (01. 29+i69) The present invention relates to the method of reforming or reshaping splice bars, particularly of the angle bar type, used for connecting and supporting the adjoining ends of railroad or railway rail sections, and aims generally to improve existing. methods of reshaping such bars.

As is well known, the pounding of the train wheels on the rails causes loss ofthe metal on the rail-engaging faces of the splice bar, causing the rail joint to lose'its, usefulness. This,

from time to time, may be corrected by tightening upon the rail joint bolts, forcing the bars on opposite sides of the rails closer to the, web of the rail, until the angle bars become so worn that they cannot be further adjusted toward the rail in load-supporting engagement with the heads and flanges thereof. At this stage, the barhas lost its usefulness and must either be discarded as scrap, or reshaped to restore its original or proper rail-engaging faces.

l-ieretofore the method of reshaping these bars consisted in compressing the bar to displace the:- metal of the web at right angles to the direction of pressure so as to fill out thehead and flange rail-engaging faces of the bar. This method, which depends upon transforming the initial pres-' 7 sure applied to the web, into right angular pres-' sure to fillout the worn faces of the bar, results in a thinning of the web, and consequent lower--' 0d could only be accomplished in a forging press ing of the moment of inertia of the bar which is undesirable.

reshaping of the bars according to the prior methexample, as described in the Langford patent above, by applying maximum pressure to the head and flange portions of the bar so as to displace the metal thereof directly to the rail-engaging faces'of the barwith'out distorting or thinning the web of the bar, and hence without changing its moment of inertia materially, so that the reshaped bar has all of the structuraland tune tional characteristicsof the original bar when' In order to prevent thinning of" the bar to such extent as to render it useless, the

1y through the web portion of the bar. tomary the bolt holes in each bar are alternately round and elliptical (see Fig. 4=)so that when a purpose.

newlj Preferably my improved method comprisessubjecting the barsto a predetermined pressure of movable dies, having a'va'riable stroke, which is determined by the thickness of the bar to be formed, this method permitting of rapid reshaping of wornsplice bars without previously sorting them according to the amount of wear. Furthermore my improved method improves the manner of maintaining the size and spacing of the bolt holes, and in restoring them to their original size and shape if badly worn.

In order better to illustrate and describe my improved method, reference is made to the accompanying drawings illustrating one type of apparatus suitable for the purpose, wherein Fig. 1 isa view partly inside elevation and partly in longitudinal section showing one form of forging apparatus suitable for'reshaping worn splice bars; 7 1

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2'2"of Fig. 1 showing the bar in position between. the dies before thereforming operationis commenced; 1

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on-the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the bar in position after the reforging operation;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a conventional form of splice bar;' and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view thereof showing the original unworn parts of the bar in dotted lines.

The splice bars or angle bars may be of any conventional design, having head, flange and intermediate web portions, and, as is common,

are provided with bolt holes extending transverse- As is cuspair of bars is in position on opposite sides of a rail joint, a round hole of one barwill align with an elliptical hole in the opposite bar, so that the wbars may be bolted together by bolts having elliptical heads as are commonly used for this In reshaping worn splice bars' it is necessary to restore the bar to its original shape, so that the head and flange wearing surfaces A and B respectively, (seeFig. 5) conform to the original design, and it is important to prevent the "the holes to their original size and shape. I

According to my invention, the angle or splice bars, are advantageously reshaped by compressing them within vertically movable die members adjusted to apply a predetermined pressure on all bars, as for example, a hydraulic or steam hammer. The bars may be supported in the lower die member in an inclined position with respect to the horizontal plane, that is, the major axis.

of the bar is not perpendicular to the direction of movement of the movable die. This permits of a ready distribution of the metal from the head and flange portions of the bar without undue thinning of the web portion so as to materially weaken the reformed bar and lower its moment of inertia. Furthermore, it permits of a novel method for restraining the flow of metal into the bolt openings, so that their original size and shape may be maintained.

In the illustrated form of apparatus the splice bars are preferably reshaped by a single forging operation, and in the present instance upper and lower die holders l0 and 11, respectively, are adapted to receive upper and lower dies 12 and 13, respectively. The lower or bottom die 12, is preferably stationary and is formed with surfaces to shape accurately the head-wearing and fiangewearing surface of the splice bar, the shape and mounting of the die 13 being such that the splice bar is supported thereon at an angle to the horizontal plane, that is, the bars are so supported during the reshaping forging operation, that the axis of the bolt holes is inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the press, and to the direction of movement of the upper movable die.

. In order to maintain the original size and shape of the bolt holes during the reshaping operation, or to restore enlarged holes to their original size and shape, as the case may be, each die member 12 and 13 may be providedwith bolt hole shaping lugs 14 and 15, respectively, the lug 15 being fixed in the lower die 13 in any suitable manner, so that a portion of it projects from the central portion 13% of the bottom die, and at an angle to the direction of vertical movement of the upper movable die. Advantageously the lower die is formed in a number of sections for convenience in changing the dies or replacing the worn parts thereof.

Thus, when the. worn angle bar is in place in the lower die, the lugs 15 extend through the transverse bolt holes of the bar and center it in position with reference to the movable die.

The lugs 14 may be suitably secured in the upper movable die, and project downwardly therefrom and at an angle to the vertical axis of the die, so that when the upper die is lowered upon the bar to press it, the lugs 14 will enter the upper partly open ends of the bolt holes, and being complementary to the lugs 15, will accurately maintain thebolt holes to proper size and shape during the reforming of the bar. The adjoining faces 17 of the respective pairs of lugs 14 and 15 are cut obliquely to the axis of the lugs or at such an angle as to permit relative vertical movement of the lugs and dies and also permit the lug 14 to enter in the upper partially open end of the bolt hole.

As stated above, the bolt holes of splice bars are conventionally of alternately elliptical and circular shape, and accordingly, alternate lugs 14 and 15 are preferably elliptical and circular, (as shown.

in Fig. 1) so that the original size, shape and arrangement of the bolt holes may be retained.

By the above described means accuracy in the size and shape of the bolt holes is maintained during the reforming, and as the lower die member is accurately shaped to conform to the shape of its desired bar, so that when the heated bar is subjected to pressure between the dies, the metal of the bar will be forced into the lower die to fill out the worn parts of the bar and thus restore it to its original usefulness. This displacement of the metal to fill out the worn faces A and B of the bar is from the head and flange portions of the bar, and is in the direction of applied pressure, and preferably substantially parallel, or only slightly oblique to the plane of the faces A and B as positioned in the lower dies. In this manner the metal required to restore the worn faces of the bar is displaced from the heavier sections without any material thinning of the web.

As stated above, the pressure applied to the movable die is a predetermined pressure, so that all bars reshaped by my process will be subjected to the same forging pressure. Thus, the size and thickness of the bar, as determined by the amount it is worn, determines the stroke of the movable die, and advantageously the movable die is provided with adjustable stops 18 adapted to strike the upper face of the stationary die block 11 and prevent damage to the dies.

After the bar has been reshaped, and the upper die is being raised, the bar' will adhere to the lower die, as the angularly disposed bolt hole forming lugs 15 will prevent movement of the bar vertically with the upper die; permitting withdrawal of the movable lugs obliquely away from the bolt holes. I be readily and quickly stripped from the lower die, and accordingly I provide stripping mecha nism for quickly removing the bar from the lower die in a direction parallel to the axis of the lugs 15. mechanism comprises one or more stripping pins 19 mounted in the lower die, being positioned therein parallel to the axis of the lugs 15. .When in lowered position, the stripping pins 19 constitute parts of the lower die, their upper faces being shaped to conform to the shaping of the lower die. The lower portions of the pins 19 have downwardly projecting reduced stems 20 extending downwardly through the lower die holder and into side opening recesses 21, wherein they may be suitably connected to an'actuating bar 22, common to all of the pins when more than one pin is used. Thus, by actuation of the bar 22, the stripping pins 19 will be raised, stripping the bar from the movable die 13 and lugs 15, and f bar may be readily restored to their original shape by the direct displacement of metal from the heavier head and flange sections of the bar, and without material compression and distortion of the web of the bar as in prior methods. direction of applied pressure is preferably substantially parallel to the plane of the head wearing face A and only slightly oblique to the flange wearing face B, so thatthe displacement of the metal is slightly obliquely to, but almost parallel to the plane of the worn rail head and flange wearing surfaces of the bar (see Fig. 3) Hence the bars may be satisfactorily reconditioned with a minimum of pressure. No material displacement of the metal of the web of the bar is required except as is necessary to restore the bolt holes to their original size and shape in the event they are I badly worn.

As the bar chills rapidly, it must In the illustrated apparatus the stripping The i? far bars may be restored to serviceable condition. In displacing the metal from the head and flange portions of the bar in order to restore the worn faces A and B, instead of displacing the metal practically entirely from the web, asin the prior process, the bars may be conveniently reshaped in a press having a predetermined pressure and variable stroke, not possible in prior presses. This insures that each bar will be subjected to the same pressure without previously sorting the bars, which is laborious and expensive, and which cannot, at best, be accurate. Furthermore, the web of the bar is not thinned, except in a very few cases when a very small amount of metal is necessary to restore very badly worn bolt holes, thus producing a reshaped bar with the structural characteristics, particularly the moment of inertia of the original: This is not possible with prior methods as described above.

In positioning the bar with its neutral axis :c-r obliquely to the direction of movement of the movable die, the convergent rail-engaging faces A and B of the bars are substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the movable die,

more readily permitting the displacement of the metal from the head and flange portions of the bar without the molecular disturbances of the metal of the bar incident to converting the pressure of the die into right angular pressure through the web, as in the case of the prior methods.

Furthermore, this angular disposition of the bar during reshaping, permits of the use of bolt hole shaping pins or lugs in the stationary die, preventing the sticking of the bar to the pins or lugs in the movable die, from which it maybe stripped only under the most diihcult conditions.

Although, I have described my improved method as for restoring the worn rail-engaging faces of angle splice bars to their original dimensions, the invention obviously is not so restricted, but is fully applicable to the shaping of the railengaging faces to new shapes, for example, to crown the upper or lower faces or both, to fit the worn ends of the rail head and rail flange.

The subject matter of this application has been divided from the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 319,165, filed November 13, 1928, for Method and apparatus for reshaping worn railway track irons.

I claim:

1. The method of shaping worn splice bars having head, flange and intermediate web portions to restore their rail head and rail flange wearing faces, which comprises compressing the bar under a continuing unidirectional predetermined pressure applied on opposite faces obliquelyto the major axis or web of the 'bar to cause the metal of the head and the flange portions of the bar to be displaced directly to the rail head and rail flange engaging surfaces respectively and without material compression of the intermediate web portion of the bar.

2. The method of shaping worn splice bars having head, flange and intermediate web portions to restore their rail head and rail flange wearing faces, which comprises compressing the bar by continuing unidirectional pressure applied on opposite faces obliquely to the major axis or web of the bar the direction of applied pressure being substantially parallel to the head wearing face and slightly oblique to the flange wearing face of the bar to cause the metal of the head and the flange portions of the bar to be displaced directly to the rail head and rail flange engaging surfaces respectively and without material compression of the intermediate web portion of the bar.

3. The method of reforming bolt holes in worn angle bars such as splice bars and the like which comprises introducing lugs into each bolt hole from above and below said bar, compressing the metal of the bar between relatively movable die members movable in a direction at an angle to the axis of said bolt hole to cause the metal of the bar to be displaced obliquely toward the lugs, withdrawing the upper lugs from the reformed bolt holes obliquely to the axis thereof and then stripping the bar from the lower lug in a direction parallel to the axis thereof.

4. The method of reforming bolt holes in worn angle bars by pressing it between vertically movable die members which comprises supporting the bar in one of the die members with its major axis or web disposed at an angle to the direction of movement of said dies and positioned therein by lugs introduced into said bolt holes from the bottom thereof and normal to the major axis orweb of said bar, subjecting the bar to the pressure of the movable die member while introducing bolt hole shaping lugs into the upper end of said bolt holes, relieving the bar of the pressure of the movable die and withdrawing the upper lug from the bolt hole obliquely to the axis thereof.

5. The method of shaping worn splice bars having head, flange and intermediate web portions to restore their rail head and rail flange wearing surfaces, which comprises subjectingthe bars to the continuing unidirectional pressure of relatively movable dies while positioned with the major axis or web of the bar obliquely to the direction of movement of the dies, and the direction of applied pressure of said dies being substantially parallel to the head'wearing face and defined by claim 1 characterized by simultaneously stripping the bar and ejecting it from between the dies.

I OLAF J. NYBERG. 

